Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-07-16
,ilities. This would advise them Of

bilities. This would advise them of
the approach of storms or frost and
enable them to prepare against dis
astrous results. He related num-
Der of instances where thousands of
dollars might have been saved had
the information that could have
been conveyed to the farmers been at
their command. The system would
have cost but $500, 900, from treas.
ury SO plethoric that the disposition
of the surplus is in itself a perplex-
ing problem. And yet nothing was
done.
Again, the bill to stamp out in
fictitious diseases, animal, and es-
pecially hay cholera, met with an al
most similar disposal. 1t is true we
secured a partial enactment on
pleuro- pneumonia, buG that did not
go half far enough.
The Interstate Commerce bill
passed in an emasculated shape, but
it may be the entering wedge. No
one unacqaainted with the facts can
appreciate the effect Of railroad dis.
elimination. This is true, not only
here, but in other states which have
no railroad law. A farmer of Mis-.
souri, told me that he had sold his
corn for Ice per bushel, when the
ruling price IN Baltimore was 4S
cents. lie was compelled to dispose
of his crop in this way, because he
would have gotten less to have ship
ped it. The freight from his home
to st. Louis, SO miles, was II cts.
per bushel; from st. Louis to Balti-
more, 1920 miles, 10 cents per bush.
ell, and 10 cents per bushel to the
middleman. This is one of the evils
which the long and short haul of the
Inter-States bill is intended to rem
edy. But you must not only have
an Interstate, but a State bill also.
If we turn to state legislation the
same neglect of the farming inter
ests stands prominently to the
front. The Commissioner of Agri-
culture receives the pitiful appropria.
ton of $500. Scarcely enough to
provide office rent and employ one
chemist. Georgia's regular appro-
piation to this department is $780,
900, and like sum is received from
the tax on foreign fertilizers. North
Carolina gives 500, 900, and all of the
progressive states make liberal APP
preparations to this important OBJ
ject. Our last Legislature turned
down the applications for experiment
tai stations to test the value of fertili-
zers and determine whether they
are worth using. No man can CON-
pute the amount paid out for utterly
valueless fertilizers by the Virginia
farmers. Federal Hill, in Baltimore,
a great sand bank, has been leveled
and shipped to Virginia in bags and
palmed off on the farmers as valua-
BILE crop producers. We have no
inspectors to test these imports, for
the reason that in state where the
farming population reaches IS per
cent. of the whole, that tremendous
majority does not demand its right
to representation and a participa-
ton in the benefits of government.
When we take these grievances to
the legislature we are told to wait
wait until there is more money in
the Treasury, wait until this or that
interest is provided for! wait until
the State debt is settled wait until
the millennium And whilst the
we wait the very narrow is drying
in our bones, and every interest we
have is palsied. And all of this
time you are taxed-taxed as no
other class. The corporation, bank
ers, laaUyers and capitalists can hide
their bonds and euidences of debt from
the eye of the assessor. BUT THE
FARMER MUST GIVE IN EVERY.
THING. HIS lands, his cattle, has ef-
tects of all kinds are risible and each
is tared to the utmost.
The Federal Government has dis
eliminated against us from it's very
foundation. Under the system of
National Banks the charter pro-
hibits the lending of money on
mortgages. The result is the farm.
er cannot borrow. The Internal
Revenue system levies direct and
onerous tax upon tabacco, and upon
fruit and grain used in the manu-.
features of liquor. Monopolies are
allowed to flourish. Plows which
cost $3.50 to make are sold at S14
Binders that cost from S43 to SAT
are sold at S125 and $3.50. Not
long ago | had a proposition from
an implement house to sell their
products at commission of so per
cent. We are shut out from the
markets of the world by the tariff
laws. Australian beef under the
refrigerator process has driven us
from the European countries.
These are some of the grievances,
now what are the remedies?
The first, most prominent-in fact
the basis of all the others, is
thorough, compact, determined or
should comprise not merely the own
ers of the land, but the laborers,
white and coIored, for their pros.
perity is interviewer with that of the
farmers. When organization is eff.
fected then representation should
follow so that Is per cent. of the
population will not be represented
by p per cent. of the law makers.
Then and then only may you expect